Johnny Farrell
Quick Facts
Biography
John Joseph Farrell (April 1, 1901 – June 14, 1988) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the U.S. Open in 1928. Over the course of his career, he won 22 PGA Tour events.
Early life
Born in White Plains, New York, Farrell started as a caddy and turned professional in 1922.
Golf career
At the 1928 U.S. Open held at Olympia Fields Country Club near Chicago, Farrell tied with amateur Bobby Jones, then a two-time champion, after the regulation 72 holes, and won the 36-hole playoff by one stroke. Farrell was voted the 1927 and 1928 Best Golf Professional in the United States, after a winning streak of six consecutive tournaments, on his road to a total of 22 career PGA Tour wins. He played for the United States in the first three Ryder Cups: 1927, 1929, and 1931.
Farrell was the head professional at the Quaker Ridge Golf Club in New York from 1919-1930. In 1931, Farrell played in his third Ryder Cup and also met and married Catherine Hush. In 1934, Farrell accepted the head professional job at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey.
Family
The Farrells had five children: Johnny, Jimmy, Billy, Peggy, and Cathy. The Farrell family dedicated itself to golf, becoming Golf Family of the Year in 1966. Billy Farrell played professional golf, and is best known for being the first ever to hit the 630-yard (576 m) par-5 17th hole at Baltusrol's Lower Course in two shots, during the 1967 U.S. Open.
Death
Farrell died in Boynton Beach, Florida, after a stroke at age 87.
Professional wins (27)
PGA Tour wins (22)
- 1921 (1) Garden City Open
- 1922 (1) Shawnee Open
- 1924 (1) Florida West Coast Open
- 1925 (2) Philadelphia Open Championship, Mid-South All Pro
- 1926 (4) Florida Central Competition, Florida Open, Shawnee Open, Mid-Winter Tournament
- 1927 (7) Metropolitan Open, Shawnee Open, Eastern Open Championship, Massachusetts Open, Pennsylvania Open Championship, Philadelphia Open Championship, Chicago Open Championship
- 1928 (2) La Gorce Open, U.S. Open
- 1930 (2) New York State Open, Pensacola Open Invitational
- 1931 (1) Pensacola Open Invitational
- 1936 (1) New Jersey Open
Major championship is shown in bold.
Other wins (5)
Note: This list may be incomplete.
- 1925 Miami International Four-Ball (with Bobby Cruickshank)
- 1926 Westchester Open
- 1928 Miami International Four-Ball (with Gene Sarazen)
- 1940 Rhode Island Open
- 1941 Rhode Island Open
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1928 | U.S. Open | 5 shot deficit | +10 (77-74-71-72=294) | Playoff 1 | Bobby Jones |
1 Defeated Bobby Jones in a 36-hole playoff – Farrell 70-73=143 (+1), Jones 73-71=144 (+2).
Results timeline
Tournament | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | DNP | T45 | 38 | T11 | T5 | T19 | T3 | T3 | T7 | 1 | CUT |
The Open Championship | NT | DNP | DNP | DNP | T19 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 2 |
PGA Championship | R32 | DNP | R32 | R16 | R16 | QF | QF | SF | R32 | DNP | 2 |
Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | T36 | T37 | T29 | DNP | DNP | 39 |
U.S. Open | 8 | T10 | CUT | T9 | T58 | T52 | T22 | T40 | DNP | CUT |
The Open Championship | DNP | T5 | DNP | T54 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
PGA Championship | QF | R32 | DNP | SF | DNP | DNP | DNP | R16 | R64 | R32 |
Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T14 | DNP | DNP | NT | NT | NT | DNP | T52 | 47 | 53 |
U.S. Open | 28 | CUT | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
The Open Championship | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | NT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | WD | T57 | DNP | DNP | DNP | WD | WD |
U.S. Open | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP |
The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 9 |
U.S. Open | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 24 | 17 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
PGA Championship | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Totals | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 29 | 55 | 45 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 18 (1919 PGA – 1928 U.S. Open)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 6 (twice)